# How many standard drinks is this?

Computes how many US standard drinks (0.6 fl oz or about 14 g of pure alcohol each) a drink holds, from its volume and alcohol by volume, for one drink or several.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/health/standard-drink-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/health/standard-drink-calculator.json
- Version: ee3c41593166

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Drink size 12 fl oz, Alcohol by volume (ABV) 5%, Number of drinks 1): US standard drinks: 1, with 0.6 fl oz of pure alcohol.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| v | Drink size | How much liquid one drink, can, glass or bottle holds. |
| abv | Alcohol by volume (ABV) | The alcohol content printed on the label, as a percent of the volume. |
| n | Number of drinks | How many of these drinks. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| drinks | Standard drinks | Pure alcohol in all the drinks ÷ 0.6 fl oz, the alcohol in one US standard drink. |
| each | Standard drinks in one | Standard drinks in one of these drinks. |
| alcoholFlOz | Pure alcohol (fl oz) | Drink size × ABV × number of drinks, in US fluid ounces. |
| alcoholMl | Pure alcohol (mL) | The same pure alcohol in millilitres. |
| grams | Pure alcohol (grams, about) | Standard drinks × 14 g, NIAAA’s weight of one standard drink. |

## Method

Pure alcohol = drink size × ABV ÷ 100 × number of drinks; standard drinks = pure alcohol ÷ 0.6 fl oz; grams ≈ standard drinks × 14.

## Assumptions

- A US standard drink holds 0.6 fl oz (about 14 g) of pure alcohol (NIAAA). Other countries define a standard drink differently, for example 10 g in Australia.
- The ABV is the one on the label; mixed drinks add up each pour separately.

## Worked examples

1. v = 0.000355, abv = 5%, n = 1 gives drinks = 1, alcoholFlOz = 0.6, grams = 14. Source: NIAAA, What Is A Standard Drink? (a US standard drink holds about 14 g, or 0.6 fl oz, of pure alcohol; 12 fl oz beer at 5%, 5 fl oz wine at 12%, 1.5 fl oz spirits at 40%). https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/what-standard-drink.
2. v = 0.000148, abv = 12%, n = 1 gives drinks = 1, alcoholFlOz = 0.6. Source: NIAAA, What Is A Standard Drink? (a US standard drink holds about 14 g, or 0.6 fl oz, of pure alcohol; 12 fl oz beer at 5%, 5 fl oz wine at 12%, 1.5 fl oz spirits at 40%). https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/what-standard-drink.
3. v = 0.000044, abv = 40%, n = 3 gives drinks = 3, each = 1, alcoholFlOz = 1.8. Source: NIAAA, What Is A Standard Drink? (a US standard drink holds about 14 g, or 0.6 fl oz, of pure alcohol; 12 fl oz beer at 5%, 5 fl oz wine at 12%, 1.5 fl oz spirits at 40%). https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/what-standard-drink.
4. v = 0.00075, abv = 13.5%, n = 1 gives drinks = 5.706116, alcoholMl = 101.25. Source: NIAAA, What Is A Standard Drink? (a US standard drink holds about 14 g, or 0.6 fl oz, of pure alcohol; 12 fl oz beer at 5%, 5 fl oz wine at 12%, 1.5 fl oz spirits at 40%). https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/what-standard-drink; NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C (1 fl oz = 29.5735295625 mL).

## FAQ

### What is a standard drink?

In the United States a standard drink holds about 14 grams, or 0.6 fluid ounces, of pure alcohol (NIAAA). That is a 12 fl oz beer at 5%, a 5 fl oz glass of wine at 12%, or a 1.5 fl oz shot of 40% spirits.

### How do I count standard drinks?

Multiply the drink size by its alcohol by volume to get the pure alcohol, then divide by 0.6 fl oz. A 16 fl oz craft beer at 7% holds 16 × 0.07 = 1.12 fl oz of alcohol, or 1.87 standard drinks.

### How many standard drinks are in a bottle of wine?

A 750 mL bottle at 13.5% holds 750 × 0.135 = 101.25 mL of pure alcohol. One standard drink is 0.6 fl oz = 17.74 mL, so the bottle holds about 5.7 standard drinks.

### Is a standard drink the same in every country?

No. This calculator uses the US standard of 14 g (0.6 fl oz). Some countries use other amounts, such as 10 g, so the same drink counts as a different number of drinks there.

### Why does the ABV matter so much?

The pure alcohol grows with the ABV. A pint of 9% beer holds almost twice the alcohol of a pint of 5% beer, so it counts as almost two standard drinks.

### How many standard drinks are in a cocktail?

Add up each pour. Two 1.5 fl oz shots of 40% spirits make 2 standard drinks, before any liqueur. Use the number of drinks box for several equal pours.

## Sources

- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), What Is A Standard Drink? (about 14 grams, or 0.6 fluid ounces, of pure alcohol; 12 fl oz beer at 5%, 5 fl oz wine at 12%, 1.5 fl oz distilled spirits at 40%). https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/what-standard-drink (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement: 1 US gallon = 231 in³ = 3.785411784 L; 1 fl oz = 1/128 gallon. https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-02)